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Experimentation Laboratory in Physical Chemistry

Code: 105043 ECTS Credits: 3
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Chemistry OB 3

Contact

Name:
Jose Antonio Ayllon Esteve
Email:
joseantonio.ayllon@uab.cat

Teachers

Jose Antonio Ayllon Esteve
Juan Manuel Rios Gallardo
Giuseppe Sciortino
Laura Masgrau Fontanet
Francesc Xavier Muņoz Berbel

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Having studied Thermodynamics and Kinetics and being enrolled in Transport phenomena and Surface Phenomena.
Have passed the security test (virtual campus).
During the practicals, students must bring their own homologated lab robe and safety glasses.
In addition to the usual tools for writing and anoting data, they must bring a scientific calculator and a spatula. It is strongly recommended to bring their own laptop. Consistent annotation of the lab data and results and the possible incidences is mandatory. 


Objectives and Contextualisation

The final objective of the course is that students reach the competences indicated in the corresponding section.


The general objectives are:
1. Apply the fundamental laws and theoretical principles acquired by the student in the courses of the subjects named in the prerequisites.
2. Familiarize students with the acquisition of data in the laboratory and its interpretation.
3. Introduce students to the knowledge of concepts and applications of physical chemistry through laboratory work.


Competences

  • Adapt to new situations.
  • Apply knowledge of chemistry to problem solving of a quantitative or qualitative nature in familiar and professional fields.
  • Be ethically committed.
  • Communicate orally and in writing in one's own language.
  • Develop synthesis and analyses studies in chemistry from previously established procedures.
  • Evaluate the health risks and environmental and socioeconomic impact associated to chemical substances and the chemistry industry.
  • Handle chemical products safely.
  • Handle standard instruments and material in analytic and synthetic chemical laboratories.
  • Have numerical calculation skills.
  • "Interpret data obtained by means of experimental measures, including the use of IT tools; identify their meaning and relate the data with appropriate chemistry, physics or biology theories."
  • Manage, analyse and synthesise information.
  • Manage the organisation and planning of tasks.
  • Obtain information, including by digital means.
  • Operate with a certain degree of autonomy and integrate quickly in the work setting.
  • Propose creative ideas and solutions.
  • Reason in a critical manner
  • Recognise and analyse chemical problems and propose suitable answers or studies to resolve them.
  • Resolve problems and make decisions.
  • Show an understanding of the basic concepts, principles, theories and facts of the different areas of chemistry.
  • Show initiative and an enterprising spirit.
  • Show motivation for quality.
  • Show sensitivity for environmental issues.
  • Use IT to treat and present information.
  • Use the English language properly in the field of chemistry.
  • Work in a team and show concern for interpersonal relations at work.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Adapt to new situations.
  2. Apply statistical methods to treat data.
  3. Apply suitable calibration methods in each case studied.
  4. Apply the acquired theoretical contents to the explanation of experimental phenomena.
  5. Be ethically committed.
  6. Communicate orally and in writing in one's own language.
  7. Critically evaluate experimental results and deduce their meaning.
  8. Describe basic safety regulations.
  9. Design simple experiments for the study of simple chemical and physical systems.
  10. Develop the habits and skills of a laboratory.
  11. Draft a laboratory logbook containing descriptions of the developed procedures, the observations made, the results obtained, the interpretation of the same and the conclusions.
  12. Evaluate risks in the use of chemicals and laboratory procedures.
  13. Evaluate the influences of variable parameters in measurement, such as concentration, temperature, pressure, dissolvent, etc.
  14. Follow safety procedures in the chemistry laboratory.
  15. Follow standard laboratory procedures.
  16. Follow standard laboratory procedures described in English.
  17. Handle instruments to record different types of spectrums.
  18. Handle laboratory instruments and materials for the determination of chemical and physical properties and the analysis of products and reagents.
  19. Have numerical calculation skills.
  20. Identify the main reagents in a laboratory and their commercial presentation.
  21. Interpret the data from observations and measurements in the laboratory in terms of their meaning and of the theories sustaining the same.
  22. Interpret the safety notes on chemistry products.
  23. Manage, analyse and synthesise information.
  24. Manage the organisation and planning of tasks.
  25. Manipulate the main reagents and dissolvents in a chemistry laboratory.
  26. Memorise the scientific terms used in English in the field of experimental chemistry / physical chemistry.
  27. Observe the physical and chemical properties of different substances.
  28. Obtain information, including by digital means.
  29. Operate with a certain degree of autonomy and integrate quickly in the work setting.
  30. Perform a synthetic and analytic study to determine chemical and physical properties using instructions supplied for a detailed procedure.
  31. Perform correct evaluations of the health risks and environmental impact of magnetic fields.
  32. Properly use the necessary computer tools to calculate, graphically represent and interpret the data obtained, as well as its quality.
  33. Propose creative ideas and solutions.
  34. Reason in a critical manner
  35. Recognise potential risks in the laboratory before they are produced.
  36. Recognise potentially dangerous reagents and dissolvents.
  37. Recognise some of the different instruments and equipment used in spectrophotometric methods and analytical chromatography.
  38. Recognise the use of each reagent in the laboratory and take appropriate safety precautions in each case (special goggles and/or gloves, extractor hood, gas mask, etc.).
  39. Relate experimental data with the physical and chemical properties and/or analysis of the systems that are the object of study.
  40. Relate the characteristics of compounds with their elemental physical and chemical properties.
  41. Relate the fundamental principles, theories and facts of chemistry with experimental data obtained in the laboratory during the study of different physical and chemical systems.
  42. Relate the result obtained with the original information, including the correct interpretation of the errors associated to the value obtained.
  43. Resolve problems and make decisions.
  44. Resolve qualitative and/or quantitative problems in accordance with previously developed models.
  45. Safely handle inflammable, toxic and/or corrosive reagents.
  46. Safely handle the different radiations involved in each spectroscopic technique.
  47. Safely handle the electrical circuits that form part of different spectrometers.
  48. Selectively distinguish the rejection of reagents and chemical products.
  49. Show initiative and an enterprising spirit.
  50. Show motivation for quality.
  51. Show sensitivity for environmental issues.
  52. Understand the labelling of chemical reagents in English.
  53. Use data processors to produce reports.
  54. Use IT to treat and present information.
  55. Use safety equipment properly.
  56. Use spectroscopy devices to confirm experimental results.
  57. Use statistical methods to treat the results of analyses and obtain quality information.
  58. Use suitable strategies for the safe elimination of reagents.
  59. Use the basic materials of a chemical laboratory.
  60. Use the most common English chemistry terms.
  61. Work in a team and show concern for interpersonal relations at work.
  62. Work safely in the laboratory while following the adequate procedure.

Content

First, a seminar to explain the contents and methodology used in this subject will be programed.
Afterwards, students will have to complete 12 laboratory sessions of 4 hours each, during which they will carry out a set of laboratory practices that have to be previously prepared with the guide (and other materials) published in the virtual campus.
Practices will include advanced kinetics, electrochemistry, surface phenomena, and any other phenomena in the field of Experimental physical chemistry
 
The laboratory session will delve into topics seen in previous theoretical subjects, but  the laboratory can also be used to introduce aspects not seen before.

The following is a likely list of practices as an example, even if the professors in each academic year can modify them or select others.
-Kinetics by Polarimetry. Inversion reaction of sucrose.
-Kinetics fby conductimetry. Basic hydrolysis of ethyl acetate
-Iodation of cyclohexanone in acidic medium: kinetic study.
-Solvatocromism as a tool to characterize a solvent's properties.
-Adsorption isotherm
-Conductivity of ionic dissolutions
-Determination of the critical micellar concentration by means of conductivity measurements.
-Sewage treatment through electrochemical processes
-Surface tension. Wettability.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Laboratori practices 48 1.92 4, 3, 7, 10, 9, 20, 21, 18, 17, 25, 27, 30, 11, 41, 40, 44, 15, 56, 59, 13
Masters class 1 0.04 41
Type: Autonomous      
Reading and study of the scripts, preparation of the practices in the laboratory and the implementation of reports, where appropriate. 22 0.88 1, 3, 2, 6, 49, 50, 23, 24, 5, 28, 29, 33, 34, 43, 19, 61, 32, 54, 53

Before starting the laboratory sessions, there will be a session in the lecture room to explain the rules that appear in this teaching guide, and give last minute information and the specific methodology and contents.

Attendance at the classroom and laboratory is mandatory. An unjustified lack implies a zero in a practice.
The students, in groups of 2 students whenever possible, will perform 12 lab sessions lasting 4 hours, during which a 9-10 different practices shall take place.

Students will previously have the scripts for the practices for its preparation. They must enter the laboratory with the script of the practice read and the calculations, tables etc. prepared in the laboratory notebook.

At the begining of each lab session, a pre-lab test will be done, individually, to evaluate the level of preparation of the sesison.
Students must correctly transfer all the experimental results elsewhere.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Results, reports and/or prelabs 70% 0 0 1, 4, 3, 2, 7, 6, 49, 50, 8, 10, 9, 48, 52, 31, 23, 24, 20, 21, 22, 60, 18, 17, 47, 46, 45, 25, 5, 26, 51, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 30, 37, 36, 38, 35, 11, 42, 41, 40, 39, 43, 44, 14, 15, 16, 19, 62, 61, 56, 32, 59, 57, 54, 58, 55, 53, 12, 13
Writen exam 30% 4 0.16 4, 7, 8, 42, 41, 40, 39, 57, 13

The evaluation process follows the principle of continuous assessment. The overall grade will consist of the weighted sum of 2 sections: laboratory (70%) and written exam (30%).

Attendance at the initial seminar and the laboratory is mandatory. The laboratory grade will include: pre-lab tests, presentation of the results of the practices at the end of the practical session, practice reports, etc. In the laboratory presentation seminar, the concepts that will be evaluated and the corresponding weighting factors will be specified.

To pass the course, a final grade of 4.9 or higher must be achieved. If the laboratory grade is < 4.9, the course will be considered failed, and the failed laboratory grade will be recorded. The recovery of all assessment activities conducted during the laboratory sessions is not contemplated. For the written exam, a grade of 4.0 or higher must be achieved in order to average it with the laboratory grade; if the minimum grade of 4.0 is not achieved, a recovery exam will be available. If the grade from the recovery does not reach 4.0, the subject will be considered failed, and the grade from the failed exam will be recorded in the report. The final exam is the only component of the evaluation that can be recovered.

IRREGULARITIES IN EVALUATION TESTS

Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures deemed necessary,  copying, plagiarism, cheating, allowing others to copy, etc., in any of the evaluation activities will result in failing it with a zero.

WARNING ABOUT LABORATORY SAFETY

A student may be expelled from the laboratory and fail the subject if, as a result of negligent behavior, they are involved in an incident that may have serious safety consequences. In case of non-compliance with safety regulations, the students may be expelled from the laboratory and fail the practice of that day


Bibliography

P.W. Atkins & J. de Paula, Atkins ' Physical Chemistry., ª ed. Oxford University Press, 2009.
(Spanish translation of the 8th Ed, Ed. Panamericana, 2008)

Available online at:

https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/avjcib/alma991009090709706709 


In addition, the handsout of each practice, published in the virtual campus, will include a specific bibliography section


Software

This subject requiries using software (which can be free) that allows doing data treatment in the form of plots and linear regressions.

 


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 2 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 3 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 4 Catalan/Spanish second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 1 Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 2 Spanish second semester afternoon